Illuminated flag



April 28, 1942. A. c. FREEMAN ILLUMINA'IED FLAG 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 25, 1941 April 942. A. c. FREEMAN 2,280,817

ILLUMINATEDYFLAG I Filed Jan. 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE ILLUMINATED FLAG Arthur 0. Freeman, Norfolk, Va., assignor of onehalf to Joseph L. Young, Norfolk, Va.

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to illuminated articles.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an illuminated article such as a flag employing illuminated tubes for illuminating the flag sight from both sides.

A further object of the invention is to provide an illuminated flag which may be supported by a stall or mast and which is capable of being raised and lowered and which is also capable of revolving on the staff or mast in the slip stream of the wind.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an illuminated flag, the sight of which is formed of flexible material so that the same may vibrate and simulate a wavy effect which is accentuated by the rays of light projected on the flag sight, or by the employment of a flasher device in the illuminating means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an illuminated flag having a circular electrical transmission connection between the flag and staff so that as the flag is rotated, as by changing wind directions, the flag will remain illuminated without subjecting the current carrying cables to twisting and tangling motions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the illuminated flag embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the manner in which the field is formed with respect to the stripe sight;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, indicating the arrangement of the light tubes for illuminating the stripes of the flag sight from both sides;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail fragmentary view illustrating the transmission collector rings and showing the manner in which the current is supplied to the light tubes;

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows, further illustrating in detail the location of the circular supporting platform;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view, showing the manner in which current collector rings are adapted to supply current to the illuminating tubes of the flag like parts throughout the same, the reference character ID will generally be employed to designate a mast or staff having a longitudinal groove I l running the entire length thereof. The upper end of the mast may be provided with a ball l2 to present a finished appearance in the usual manner.

Mounted on the mast it is a metal frame l3 preferably round in cross-section. Secured to the frame l3 at the top and bottom thereof are eyelets l4 and I5 respectively which are rotatably and slidably mounted on the mast ID for allow- 3 ing the frame to be raised and lowered as by means of a cable It having its upper end trained over a pulley IT and attached to a vertical bar I8, shown clearly in Figure 1, as extending downwardly through the eyelets I4 and IS. The cable It is attached to the upper end of the connecting bar 18 asat It).

The extreme lower end of the connecting bar [8 is attached to a channel-shaped annulus 20 in any preferred manner such as welding or by means of a screw 2| as shown best in Fig. 6, whereby the annulus 23 may be raised and lowered with the frame [3, and said annulus is provided with a key 22 slidable in the groove ll of the mast It to prevent rotation of the annulus on the mast.

Supported by the frame 13 is a sheet of flexible material, such as plastic, wood, metal or the like, having its marginal edges rolled over or otherwise formed at the top and bottom portions of the frame 13, as at 24 and 25, while the end portions of the flexible sheet 23 are rolled over or otherwise formed at the ends of the frame, as at 26 and 21, thus providing a flag sight which is marked or painted with red stripes 28, arranged in horizontal spaced relation, between which are interposed white stripes 29. The red and white stripes extend the entire length of the flag sight 23, except for a rectangular opening 30 which is adapted to define the blue field of the flag which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Longitudinally extending through the center of each of the red stripes 28 and white stripes 29 is an elongated opening, in each of which is located an illuminated tube, shown herein for purposes of illustration as a neon gaseous tube, so that the tubes 3| will illuminate the red stripes 28 on both sides of the flag sight 23, while the neon tube 32 will illuminate the white stripes 29 on both sides thereof. The neon tubes 3i and 32 are mounted in the openings of the stripes so that half of the tube projects on one side of the flexible material flag sight 23, while the other half of the tube projects on the opposite side, all of said tubes being mounted in slightly spaced relation to the edges of the openings extending longitudinally of the stripes so that the flag sight will be free to move independently of said tubes. The neon tubes 3| and 32 are connected at their ends as at 33 so that most of the tubes will be-in series and other tubes will be branch tubes extending parallel with and between the connected tubes. The flag sight 23 is only flexible to the extent of producing slight wavy movements in a stream of wind and also possesses a sufficient degree of rigidity to provide a proper support for the tubes 3 I.

Connecting the end portions of the frame i3 is a stiffening bar 34 which extends longitudinally of the flat sight and has its upper flanged edge 36 extending parallel with the rectangular opening so that a rectangular frame 36 may be inserted in the opening 30 and held in place by screws or the like extending through the flange 35 and the rectangular frame 33. The upper edge of the flag sight adjacent the rectangular opening is flanged as at 21 and it is connected with the rectangular frame 36 by means of pins or rivets 3B.

The rectangular frame 36 is adapted to support a rectangular casing 39 having translucent side walls 40 which may be colored blue to represent the field of an American flag and starshaped openings 4| are formed in the side walls 40 so that light may project therethrough. Neon tube sections 42 are mounted in the casing between the translucent walls 40 and have the ends 43 alternately secured to the rectangular frame 39 by means of clips 44.

A cable 55 connects the upper neon tube 3! to the neon tube 42 in the casing 39, while a similar cable connects the opposite end of the neon tube 42 to the upper neon tube 32 in the flag sight white strip 29. The lower neon tubes 3! and 32 are provided with cables 45 and ii respectively, attached to binding posts t8 and 49 carried by an insulator ring 56 supported by means of a bracket 5i attached to one corner of the rectangular frame I3 as at '52. The free ends of the cables 46 and 47 are attached to cable clips 53 and 54 which are rigidly secured to the binding posts 48 and 49 by means of nuts 55 and 56 threaded on the lower ends thereof.

Each binding post 48 and 49 is provided with a yoke 51 and 58 having rollers 59 and 60 respectively adapted to contact annular tracks 5i and 62 carried within the annular channelshaped ring 2! as is clearly shown in Figures 4 and 6. The conductor tracks El and 62 are anchored in an insulating block 53 carried in the channel-shaped annulus 29 and are held in place e by screws or the like 64, the annulus protecting the electric device from the elements.

Current is supplied to the respective conductor rings 6! and 62 by means of cables 65 and 65 which. extend down the staff [0. The rollers 59 and 61) are urged upwardly into engagement with the conductor rings 6! and 62 by means of coil springs 61 and 68 which have the lower ends engaging the insulator ring 50, while the upper ends engage the yokes 51 and 58.

Lugs 16 are formed on one corner of the rectangular flange l3 and are arranged in spaced relation for receiving a roller 1| which engages the upper surface of the channel-shaped annulus 28 to assist in supporting the frame during its rotary motion with respect to the stall Hi.

The ends of the neon tubes 3| and 32 are supported and held in the longitudinal openings of flag sight stripes 23 and 29 by projection 12 and I 3 which extend from opposite sides of the openings and embrace the neon tube so that the flag sight may be capable of flexing without causing damage or breakage of the neon tubes 3| and 32.

His to be understood that the neon tubes may be arranged in any desired form, to any shape of plug, or surface, but as shown, the neon. tube 3! extends through the alternate red stripes 28, while the tubes 32 extend through the alternate white stripes 28 and are connected on the opposite side of the flag by extensions 33a. The connections 33 and 3341 may be colored to coincide with the adjacent surfaces as in the red and white stripes 28 and 29 appearing in the flag sight. i

It is also to be understood that the casing 39 may be held in place within the rectangular opening 35 by flanged edges 14 secured to the casing rectangular frame 36 by means of screws or the like as at 15.

While the American flag has been employed for depicting the invention, it is obvious that other flags and emblems may be used in lieu thereof, such as Weather Bureau flags, Red Cross insignia, emblems, etc., and it is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. An illuminated flag comprising a frame, a vertical staff for rotatably supporting the frame, a sheet of material carried by the frame providing a flag sight and having elongated slots extending through colored portions of the flag sight, gaseous tube illuminating means mounted in the slots for projecting rays of light on both sides of the flag sight, an illuminated field mounted in one corner of the flag sight including a casing having translucent walls provided with starshaped windows, means for illuminating the flag sight field, and means for supplying current to the flag sight and field illuminating means.

2. An illuminated flag comprising a frame, a vertical staff for rotatably supporting the frame, a sheet of material supported by the frame having elongated slots extending through colored portions of the flag sight, gaseous tube illuminating means mounted in the elongated slots to project rays of light on both sides of the flag sight, an illuminated field in one corner of the sheet of material comprising a casing having translucent side walls provided with windows, means for illuminating the illuminated field, and means for supplying current to the field illuminating means and to the gaseous tube illuminating means mounted in the slots.

ARTHUR C. FREEMAN. 

